


Unconventional Normal

by Barbara_Lazuli



Series: Strange and Creepy, Unusual and Kooky [1]
Category: Beetlejuice - All Media Types, Beetlejuice - Perfect/Brown & King, The Addams Family (Movies)
Genre: Another rare pair fic lmao, F/F, Why do I do this to myself, i just wanted to give lydia more weird friends her age, the twins are from the addams family 2019 movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:41:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25091038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Barbara_Lazuli/pseuds/Barbara_Lazuli
Summary: "Thank you for inviting me, by the way," Lydia says. "I never really got to do stuff like this.""Hm. You're not talking about this late night tea we're having, are you?"It's endearing how cheeky Wednesday could let herself be. Lydia hides her smile with her cup. "I meant hanging out with kids my age. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's actually pretty nice to have friends."[Where Lydia gets to be a normal teenager. Or as normal as it could be for her]
Relationships: Wednesday Addams/Lydia Deetz
Series: Strange and Creepy, Unusual and Kooky [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1827526
Comments: 39
Kudos: 291





	Unconventional Normal

**Author's Note:**

> I dont even know what this is. All i know is i wanted to write lydsday and lydia having friends that arent dead. I dont know how this got this long. I need to sleep

Lydia Deetz is no saint, her brief team up with a certain demon would tell you that. But bullying isn't something she ever liked. Sure, she might not be above giving some innocent kid a good fright, but mischief is different from outright tormenting. 

Lydia, who had just gotten her class schedule from the secretary, was just about to head to her locker when she sees them. Three girls have another backed up to a row of lockers. That scene never means anything good. The cornered girl should have seemed intimidating from her appearance alone: a tall stature, black hair with an undercut, sporting dark make-up and an ensemble that consists of black and leather. Not unlike Lydia, except for the tall part and a bit less edge. But this girl has her shoulders hunched, clearly the one intimidated by the three girls instead.

Lydia sighs. To make things even better, they're blocking her locker. Just her rotten luck.

"Stay away from Kylie, 'you hear me, freshman?" one of the girls says.

"Come on, Dana," another girl says. "She was just asking me about my mom. She heard the ambulance last night."

The goth girl shrugs. "We're neighbors."

The first girl, Dana, gasps in surprise. "Your mom's in the hospital?"

The third girl sighs. "Yes, Dana. She just told us she had a heart attack."

Lydia's had enough of this. She finally decides to butt in. "Hey." She taps the shoulder of who she assumes to be Kylie. "'You mind movin'? I need to get to my locker."

Adding insult to injury, Kylie only notices her after looking down. "Oh, sorry."

"Holy shit, they're multiplying," Dana says and the third girl snorts.

"Uh-huh," Lydia nods, faking a sweet smile. "And if you don't leave my sight right now, I'm gonna have the demon I summon later tonight haunt you."

The two girls shuffle nervously, but Dana keeps her narrowed eyes at Lydia. She doesn't back down nor break her smile. Eventually Dana does leave with the girls on her tail, though not without roughly bumping her shoulder against Lydia's. 

Lydia fights back the urge to retaliate and picks up her fallen class schedule instead. 

"I've never seen you before," the goth girl says as Lydia opens her locker. 

"Wow, really?" Lydia shoves a couple of books in there. She exaggerates a sweet, interested tone, but doesn't bother making her face reflect it. 

The other girl doesn't get the message. "Only the Ad -- Only my family looks different from everyone else."

Lydia snorts, looking down at her schedule. "Your whole family's goth?"

"Well, not really. I think. Just different. Weird."

Lydia raises a brow at the proud way she says that. She finally looks at her and sees the bright grin that contrasts her dark make up.

"I'm Parker Addams," she says and extends a hand. 

Despite her better judgement, Lydia takes it. "Lydia Deetz."

"Since you're new, want me to show you around school?"

"What's your first class?"

"English."

"Bummer. Mine's History." She pats Parker's arm and gives a patronizing smile. "Thanks for the offer though."

She turns to leave, but something makes her turn back around.

"Just curious. Is that girl's mom alright?"

Parker blinks. "Yeah. Just needed to be confined overnight just in case."

Lydia awkwardly nods, heads for class, and ignores her relief.

**** **** **** **** 

"Lydia! Hey!"

Lydia freezes where she's standing holding her bagged lunch. Parker is waving for her from a table she's occupying with three more girls. She could just ignore them, but she's been trying to find a seat in the cafeteria for a good while now. It's just so packed. Maybe she should have taken her dad's offer and attended the nearby private school.

No, she certainly made the right decision. Lesser evil and all that.

And for that same reason, Lydia heads to Parker's table. Two of Parker's friends seem harmless enough; a pair of twins that Lydia will definitely have a hard time telling apart. 

"These are Kayla and Layla," Parker gestures toward the twins. She doesn't bother pointing which is which, something that doesn't help Lydia at all. "And this is my cousin, Wednesday."

The girl, Wednesday, is a small girl who somehow radiates an imposing aura. Her black hair is tied into twin braids, her extremely pale skin greatly contrasting it. Combined with her dead fish eyes, Wednesday closely resembles a ghost. Even then, Adam and Barbara look more alive than the girl in front of her.

Lydia ignores the shiver in her spine as Wednesday's dark eyes stare at her. She says, "So do you have six more siblings or something?"

"I certainly hope not," Wednesday drawls. This girl is more dead inside than ghosts themselves. "One is already quite a hassle."

Lydia hums in acknowledgement and pulls out the lunch Barbara and Delia prepared for her. Delia can't cook to save her life, but she's willing to let Barbara possess her so they can prepare actual meals. "Life of a sibling must be rough."

"Oh not for everyone," Kayla/Layla says. "My sister's my bestfriend!"

Lydia resists the urge to roll her eyes as the twins throw compliments at each other. Wednesday still has her eyes on her. When Lydia gives up and finally looks back, Wednesday doesn't flinch. Doesn't do anything, really. Lydia makes a point to look unimpressed. If she wants to freak Lydia out, she'll have to try harder than that.

"Did your family move in to Assimilation?" Parker asks. "I don't remember my mom mentioning new residents."

Lydia finally breaks eye contact with Wednesday to look at Parker. "No. My Dad didn't want to. He's a realtor and wanted to do something similar to Assimilation. But that's not an option anymore."

"Why?"

Lydia considers lying, but the dead-eyed stare burning the side of her skull makes her change her mind. She rests her chin on her palm and gives them her too-sweet-to-be-true smile. 

"The ghosts in our house put a stop to that. And the demon I summoned scared away the investors."

The twins chuckle and twist nervously in their seat. "Oh, wow," one of them says. 

Lydia's grin widens. Maybe this whole socializing thing has its perks. Creeping people out is much is easier with people talking to you.

"Your house is haunted?" Parker asks, unexpectedly only curious. "Wednesday's is, too."

Lydia blinks. "It is?" She tilts her head to the side. "Are you sure it wasn't just Wednesday grabbing a midnight snack and her dad mistaking her for a ghost?"

Parker, Kayla, and Layla all make an effort not to laugh. It seems they don't want to offend Wednesday. But Lydia could have sworn she saw the corner of Wednesday's lips twitch. 

"I do admit, I have spooked my father occassionally, every single time deliberate," Wednesday says. 

Lydia snorts. "Of course it is." 

**** **** **** ****

"Lydia Deetz."

Lydia lets her forehead fall on the door of her locker, hand on her racing heart. "You have _got_ to stop doing that." 

When she turns her head to Wednesday, the girl's lips are slightly curled into what almost looks like a smirk. "Doing what?" she says and Lydia swears she hears a teasing tone in her voice.

"Jump scaring me like some ghost in a horror movie," she drawls. "I mean, I get the dedication to your whole look..." To emphasise her point, Lydia momentarily holds up one of Wednesday's braids. The other girl watches with rapt attention until Lydia lets go. "And I totally understand the fun in it, but my heart can only handle so much so often. A simple hello would suffice."

"Making your heart race is much too tempting not to do, Lydia." Lydia's eyes narrow at the way Wednesday words that, but the blasé delivery makes her decide to ignore it. "You never look too visibly surprised. I feel torn between being impressed and disappointed."

Lyida heads to the cafeteria and lets Wednesday catch up to her. "Maybe you should try something different." She smirks down at her, even daring to smugly lean closer. "Won't be long before you actually bore me instead."

Wednesday frowns. "I perish the thought of that, Lydia. I accept the challenge."

... She just made a mistake, didn't she?

"That aside, I actually had a purpose for approaching you," Wednesday continues to say.

They don't bother lining up for the cafeteria food and head straight for their usual table. Both Lydia and Wednesday bring packed lunches to school. Lydia prefers Barbara's cooking and the school doesn't have anything that would cater to Wednesday's peculiar tastes. 

"Would you like to come to my house this Friday?"

Lydia pauses before her fork gets to her mouth. "What?"

"Kayla and Layla started this bi-weekly arrangement when we were in middle school where we spend the evening viewing movies in each other's homes," Wednesday explains. "I'd appreciate it if you could come as well." Wednesday carefully watches Lydia then raises a brow at what she sees. "Do you not want to?"

"Well, no, it's not that... I just thought..." Lydia trails off, unsure what to say.

How is she supposed to say that she didn't think Wednesday liked her? She didn't even think Wednesday liked Kayla and Layla. It seemed like the only person whose company Wednesday enjoyed is Parker's. She assumed Wednesday only tolerated Lydia and the twins because of her. 

But apparently she was wrong. If Wednesday has been willingly going along with Kayla and Layla's whims apparently since middle school, then she must have _some_ level of fondness for them. Or at the very least she might find them amusing. Lydia can tell that's how Wednesday sees her. She's been trying to scare the bejeesus out of Lydia ever since Parker introduced them.

But a week isn't enough time to get a good gauge on someone. Lydia hates it when people judge her when they barely know her, so why should she do the same to Wednesday? Her disturbingly dark disposition aside.

(Lydia's been intrigued by Wednesday because of that anyway, despite the attempts to spook her.)

"I'm just surprised," Lydia eventually says. "I'd love to go. I just didn't think I was close enough with you for that."

"Perhaps not. But that's why I'm inviting you."

Lydia blinks. Before she could ask what that means, Kayla has slumped into the seat beside Wednesday to complain about the partner she got for her history project.

**** **** **** ****

Her parents, both ghostly and living, were ecstatic to find out that Lydia has friends to hang out with on a Friday night.

"I am so proud!" Delia says, hugging Lydia like she's about to graduate valedictorian of their class. The show they were watching is left muted, forgotten. "You have friends, Lydia!" She lets go of her to melodramatically wipe away imaginary tears from her eyes. "To think, just a month ago you were going on and on about death and ghosts and demons."

"That's because we actually encountered demons and went to the Netherworld." Lydia gestures at Adam and Barbara. "We're literally living with ghosts."

"That's not the point. You have friends!"

"Ugh."

"Why didn't you mention them before?" Adam asks. He looks to be on the verge of pouting.

"I don't know. Didn't come up."

"Pretty sure it has," says Delia, the one who always brings it up.

"Are they..." Charles finally speaks up and cautiously says, "... problematic?"

"Dad, please. Do you think I'd associate myself with bad people?"

"Betelgeuse," they all say.

Lydia snaps her fingers and concedingly points at them. "You got me there."

"You didn't answer my question, Lydia."

"They're not -- They're not bad people, okay?" She leaves the foot of the steps, realizing she won't be able to get to her room anytime soon. She sits on the couch beside a hovering Barbara. "They're just... They're like me. And I like them. I guess I just didn't mention them because I wanted to make sure they still wanted to be my friends before you make a big deal out of it."

Barbara places a hand on Lydia's back. She can't really feel her, she never would, but she has come to associate that vaguely cold sensation to Barbara and Adam. Somehow, that's enough make her feel warm.

"What time do you need to be there?" Barbara asks.

Lydia feels a grin split her face. "Around seven."

"Wait a second," Charles interrupts. "Whose house are you going to, anyway?"

"Wednesday Addams."

"Addams." Charles thoughtfully scratches his beard. "I think I've heard that name before."

"Parker said they live in this really big house on top of a hill, just before you get to Assimilation."

Her father pales. "Oh. _Addams_."

**** **** **** ****

"Call me immediately when you want me to pick you up. Okay, Lydia? I don't care of I'm still on my way back home. Or maybe I should stay and wait just in --"

"Dad. You sound crazier than usual. It's just movie night."

Charles takes a deep breath before letting it go. He's gripping the steering wheel a little too tightly. "Right, right. I'm just worried. We didn't move to Assimilation for a reason, Lydia." Aside from the obvious business opportunity. "The Addamses make up a good portion of the neighborhood, and the things I hear about them are --"

"Strange? Unusual? So am I, Dad. I thought you've accepted that."

Charles takes a moment to squeeze Lydia's shoulder. "Because you're my daughter. I don't know these people. What if their weird is dangerous?"

"Wednesday isn't dangerous," she says, likely with unwarranted confidence. Wednesday takes pride in being feared. But she isn't cruel, and acts only in retaliation, usually against her friends' bullies. If anything, Lydia is the one who has committed mischief unprovoked. "She isn't a danger to me so far."

"So far," Charles mumbles back. "I'm... really trying to be supportive here. I know I have a lot to make up for. Just..."

Charles trails off, eyes glued to the old but gorgeous house up ahead as the car continues its ascent. With the spiky iron gates and the dead trees that surround it, the Addams family home looks more like a haunted house than hers do; and they have actual ghosts living with them!

"Spooky," Lydia says with an impressed chuckle. Just as she would expect from Wednesday Addams.

"I suppose there's no talking you out of this," Charles concedingly sighs.

"Their house is gorgeous." 

"In a horror movie kind of way." 

"I should've brought my camera."

Charles pulls up just in front of the gate, looking for some sort of intercom. But the gates open on their own, upward like a beast's maw.

"Just one of those fancy gates," Charles mumbles to himself and drives past the gate faster than he normally would.

Lydia chooses not to point out that the gates clearly don't have the mechanisms to remotely move it. Parker wasn't lying. This place might actually be haunted.

The front doors open as soon as Charles pulls up by the front steps. Wednesday Addams looks especially small coming out through the huge mahogany doors. Lydia steps out of the car as well, meeting Wednesday at the bottom of the steps. 

"You're wearing a red skirt," Wednesday observes. "I've never seen you wear anything but black before."

"Oh, yeah. Um." 

She mostly did that because she was mourning. She'll never forget her mother, but she has to move on someday, and she doesn't need her clothes to reflect her longing for her anymore. Still, she's come to love her look, though she isn't opposed to bringing a bit of color back into her wardrobe. Just... maybe not yellow. Never again.

Deciding that dumping all of that on Wednesday would be too much trouble, Lydia simply says, "I just thought I'd do something different."

Wednesday's ebony eyes appraise her one last time. "Blood red. The color looks lovely on you, Lydia."

Surprised but pleased by the compliment, Lydia says, "Thank you."

"Are you Lydia's father?" Wednesday asks Charles. 

"Yes, you must be Wednesday." Charles reaches out to shake her hand. But Wednesday's hands remain clasped together. Charles wisely pulls back his arm. "Anyway, thank you for welcoming my daughter into your home."

"It was my pleasure. Mother and Father asked me to apologize on their behalf for not being able to meet you. They just left. They had plans for the evening."

"Ah. Date night. It's okay, I understand." 

"Oh, is that Lydia? Hey, you made it!"

Kayla skips down the steps, her twin sister following her at a more reasonable pace. If Parker is already inside, she must still be on her phone. 

"Oh, thank god," Lydia hears Charles mutter under his breath. He must be relieved that Kayla and Layla at least look like normal teenagers.

"Have you seen their pet tree yet?" Kayla asks, excitedly tugging on Lydia's arm.

"It moves on its own," Layla says. Though she isn't bouncing like her sister, Lydia can evidently see the fascination in her eyes. It seems only talk of ghosts and demons terrify the twins.

"Like the whomping willow!" Kayla adds.

"No way." Lydia turns to Wednesday for confirmation. 

"His name is Ichabod," Wednesday supplies.

Lydia can see the exact moment Charles gives up any hope that his daughter would ever have a normal teenage life. 

"Text me when you need me to pick you up," he tells Lydia. He nervously eyes every tree in the vicinity and asks Wednesday, "Which, uh, which one is the sentient tree? I wouldn't want to disturb it or anything."

"Ichabod is usually planted just outside my room's window at the back. But he occassionally unroots himself when he feels like relocating, so it may be hard to tell."

Charles's grin widens impossibly. "Brilliant."

When her father has finally left, Wednesday leads them inside. The interior is just as captivating as the exterior, making Lydia feel like she has travelled back to the Victorian era and is about to meet a vampire. There's a huge carnivorous plant displayed in the middle of the vast foyer. Curious as she's never seen one in person, Lydia heads toward it.

A hand around Lydia's wrist stops her from getting any closer. "You should keep your distance." Wednesday warns. "Cleopatra hasn't had her dinner yet." She pulls Wednesday away from it and up the grand staircase after the twins. "Losing you tonight would be inconvenient."

"Right." Lydia curiously stares at the back of Wednesday's head. She hasn't let go of her yet. "Do you name all your house plants?"

"Only the ones smarter than Pugsley, so... Yes."

What kind of unfortunate name --

"Wednesday! You lured another one?"

Lydia gapes, not at the younger boy idly throwing what seems to be a bomb upwards before catching it like a ball, but at the hulking creature behind him carrying various baseball equipment. The man's face and stature reminds Lydia of mainstream - and very inaccurate - incarnations of Frankenstein's monster. This man looks like he escaped the Netherworld.

"Lydia, this disgusting and horrendous creature before you is my brother Pugsley," Wednesday says. For a second Lydia thought she was talking about the tall one until she notices that Wednesday means the boy. "And the gentleman in the suit is the help, Lurch."

"Thanks for having me," Lydia says. 

Somehow, what surprises her the most is how, unlike Wednesday, her brother Pugsley has Emotions. He's even capable of smiling. 

"Wanna play baseball with us?" Pugsley generously offers.

"... At night?"

"Yeah?"

"She didn't come here to play with you, Pugsley," Wednesday interrupts. "I'd appreciate it if you don't steal my guest. Go blow yourself up somewhere else."

"Fiiine," Pugsley whines and heads downstairs with Lurch trailing after him. 

"Should I be worried?" Lydia asks, now hung up on the bomb.

"No. The explosions won't be strong enough to affect us from this distance."

"Not what I meant, but okay."

By now, Lydia literally has no idea what to expect when she finally sees Wednesday's room. When the door opens to reveal an old electric chair by a book shelf, a guillotine attached to the bed right where the pillow is, and a lion lounging on the carpet as Layla rubs its belly and Parker takes pictures of them, it's with resigned amusement that Lydia takes all this in. 

"Will he let me touch him, too?" Lydia asks Wednesday.

Wednesday snaps her fingers and calls for the lion in her cold but commanding tone. "Kitty."

The lion twists his giant head to face them. Lydia stays still, just in case he gets easily spooked. She waits for it to approach her, and when it finally brushes his huge body against her tiny frame with an audible purr, Lydia couldn't help the giggle that bubbles out of her.

"Who would have thought that a dangerous animal would finally get a laugh out of you?" Layla remarks with amusement.

"I'm not surprised at all," Parker says, phone's camera now aimed at Lydia and her new friend.

"If you told me you had a lion, I would have come over sooner," Lydia tells Wednesday as she runs her fingers through Kitty's mane. 

"Hm."

"Since we're all here," Kayla turns her laptop so they can see the screen displaying the disney channel logo. She opens the boxes of pizza they brought with a little more fanfare than necessary. "Let's get this party started!"

Lydia takes a look at the file's title. She grimaces. "Who picked the Little Mermaid?"

"Me," Kayla says, because of course she did. "I haven't watched it yet. Have any of you?"

They all shake their heads.

"You're really gonna let this happen?" Lydia asks Wednesday as they all get settled into the nest of pillows scattered around the floor.

"I lost the deciding game. Something which pathetically hinders on luck."

"'Cause if we play a game that relies on any kind of skill, we'd never win against you," Layla tells Wednesday.

Wednesday's eyes narrow. "Playing up to my ego. I commend you for that. But you're right. An alternative wouldn't have been fair."

It turns out, not even Kayla likes The Little Mermaid. As soon as Ariel thought it would be a great idea to sell her soul and leave home for a man she briefly met, a collective groan can be heard from four fifteen-year-olds. Wednesday remains silent but evidently just as disapproving. 

Lydia briefly wonders if this was how her father felt when she summoned Betelgeuse, granted at a significantly larger scale. Still, this and that are different, she tells herself as Ariel combs her unnaturally red hair with a fork. The little mermaid sold her soul because of shallow infatuation, and Lydia made a deal with a demon because of her desperate longing. 

She ignores the fact that, ultimately, they were foolish girls who made a mistake because they didn't appreciate what they had.

By the time they finished the second movie that Parker got to pick, Charles has already sent Lydia ten text messages asking how she is.

"'Think it's time for me to come home."

Parker, Kayla, and Layla boo in protest. Lydia turns away and pretends to type a reply so they don't see her smiling. 

"Mom's asking when we're going home, too," she hears Layla say.

"But I don't wanna go home yet," Kayla whines. "You're lucky you get to stay, Parker."

"'Cause my mom mostly doesn't care." A pause. "I don't think she's even noticed I'm not home."

"Girl. 'You need a hug?" Kayla offers.

"No, not really -- oh, okay, you're doing it anyway."

"You could all just stay the night," Wednesday unexpectedly suggests.

Silence takes over the room. When Lydia turns back to the rest of the girls, they're all gaping at Wednesday.

"You want us to sleep over?" Layla asks, bewildered. 

"Yes. Parker already stays in one of the guest rooms from time to time. I can have Lurch prepare the other rooms as well."

"Guest rooms? No way!" Kayla protests. "That's not how sleepovers work! We all gotta camp out in one room."

Wesnesday turns to Parker with a single brow raised. Parker shrugs.

"Why not? I haven't been to a sleepover since sixth grade."

"Fine," Wednesday concedes. "If you prefer the discomfort of the floor, then I won't stop you."

Kayla squeals and embraces Wednesday. The gloomy girl does not look pleased by it, but she lets it happen for a solid three seconds before pushing Kayla off her.

"Mom's cool with it," Layla says. She turns to Lydia. "How about you?"

"Uh..." Charles chooses that moment to finally call her. She raises her phone so her friends can see. "Gotta ask my dad first."

"Lydia, it's late!" is the first thing Charles says when she picks up. "I'm getting into the car right now."

"Actually, Dad? Can I stay the night?" Lydia idly runs a hand against Kitty's fur. "The girls wanna sleepover."

"A sleepover? You haven't done that since--" Charles pauses to think.

"Since never, Dad."

"Oh. Really? Not even in preschool?"

"Is that a yes or no?"

"I..." He sighs. "Sure. You must be having fun."

Lydia looks back at the girls. Layla and Parker are browsing for what to watch next. Kayla has taken an interest in the guillotine attached to Wednesday's bed.

"This works, doesn't it? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Of course it is. How am I supposed to wake up early every morning otherwise?"

"Ah. Like an extreme alarm clock."

Lydia smiles. Finally, she answers, "Maybe a little bit."

**** **** **** ****

Lydia can feel something moving against her. She opens her eyes and immediately regrets it. Someone with a demented face looms over her. She's a middle aged woman with scragly hair, wearing a worn patient's attire. Her arms are covered in scars, but there's an open wound on her forehead that _seems_ fresh.

Lydia is reminded of the first time she laid eyes on Adam and Barbara. This is a ghost. 

Noticing that Lydia has woken up, the ghost's ice cold eyes meet Lydia's. She bares her teeth in what Lydia belatedly realizes to be a smile.

"S'Cold..." comes out of the ghost's chapped lips. 

Lydia looks down and discovers that what woke her up is the blanket being pulled over her. A quick look to her friends beside her shows that they're now covered as well. They didn't have those before they passed out in the middle of their fourth movie.

"Thank you," Lydia whispers.

The ghost slowly blinks back. It seems she didn't expect Lydia to reply. A bony hand comes up to pat the young girl's head. Even though Lydia can only feel the chill the ghost's astral body brings, she lets her appreciation show through a small smile. 

The ghost leaves and phases through the wall the same way she's seen Adam and Barbara do countless times.

"You can see Them."

Miraculously, that only makes Lydia squeak. She turns to Wednesday, who was supposed to also be asleep beside her. She glares at the other girl.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Since I felt Edna come inside the room. I was going to ignore her, but I heard you speak. How long have you been able to see the dead?"

Lydia shrugs and turns to face the ceiling. Wednesday's piercing stare is harder to deal with in the dark like this. 

"I'm not really sure." At first she thought Adam and Barbara were her first encounter with spirits, but looking back, she may have already met a good number of them. "I used to get mocked for my imaginary friends. But I guess they weren't imaginary at all."

From Lydia's other side, Layla shifts and Parker mumbles something about her lunch.

Lydia chuckles. "God. I can't sleep now."

"Would you like some tea?"

Lydia shoots her a sceptic look. "Is it normal tea?"

"Define 'normal'."

Lydia can't believe she has to think about that. "Something that won't hurt my stomach. Or poison me. Or make me high."

"You're no fun," Wednesday drawls and Lydia rolls her eyes. "But yes, those are available."

"Alright."

Carefully, they make their way out of the room and downstairs for the kitchen.

"I suppose you were telling the truth back then," Wednesday suddenly says as they wait for the water to boil. "Did you really summon a demon?"

"Oh. Yeah."

Wednesday's brows rise. "Impressive. Not that I had doubts, mind you. But it's good to see proof. I do admit, I'm a bit envious. I have yet to summon a demon. I'm not allowed until my eighteenth birthday."

Lydia would laugh, but it seems Wednesday isn't joking. "Why would you want to summon a demon?"

"I'm still thinking on it. It's why I haven't done it yet, not the age restriction."

"Huh. Make sure you'll have whatever you summon under control then. Demons are pretty crafty, you know."

"Do tell."

Lydia purses her lips. "Maybe next time."

Wednesday lets out a tiny, disappointed sigh. "A shame, but I understand."

The kettle finally whistles. Wednesday pours two cups for both of them.

"Thank you for inviting me, by the way," Lydia says. "I never really got to do stuff like this."

"Hm. You're not talking about this late night tea we're having, are you?"

It's endearing how cheeky Wednesday could let herself be. Lydia hides her smile with her cup. "I meant hanging out with kids my age. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's actually pretty nice to have friends."

Lydia isn't sure why she's admitting this now, especially to Wednesday Addams, of all people. It isn't quite because she thinks Wednesday would understand. She doesn't look the type to ever feel lonely. But maybe because regardless, Wednesday wouldn't be the type to judge or extend pity.

"I don't understand how a charming girl like you could lack friends until now," Wednesday says. "Then again, I don't understand most people outside of my family. You are all very strange."

Lydia snorts. "That's a way to look at it."

"But that's why I've decided to try interacting with the people outside of our home. Though I'm still not close to understanding a lot of things, I like the amusement you people bring me."

"Thank you?"

"I also appreciate your welcome reception of my family and home." Wednesday's eyes are now trained on her cup, thumb idly tracing its lip. For the first time, Lydia sees a hint of insecurity in Wednesday. "Some people can be quite rude, you see." Wednesday puts down her empty cup and, in the blink of an eye, the ice cold Wednesday Addams is back. "Not that I _really_ care about the rest of them. But it's nice to meet someone who wouldn't think to sic an angry mob at us once in a while."

"It's just been a strange few months for me recently," Lydia shrugs and decides it's too late in the evening to unpack what Wednesday just said. "At this point, whatever comes next, I'd just tell myself, 'Well. This might as well happen'. I've always liked the strange and unusual anyway. Kinda why I never really had friends."

Wednesday's frown deepens. "What boring people you must have encountered, then."

"It wasn't all bad, back when my mom was still alive. She made sure I didn't feel lonely." Lydia smiles. She hopes she looks more happy than sad. "She was my best friend." Her own cup now empty, she places it on the kitchen counter beside Wednesday's. She hops onto to it, legs swinging as she puts on a bigger smile. "She'd love it here. It's like it's eternally Halloween in your place, and Mom _loves_ Halloween. Whenever it ends, she'd always beg for Dad not to take down the decor and put the house back to normal."

"Does it ever work?" Wednesday is looking up at her from the stool she's sitting on. Lydia would feel embarrassed of suddenly gushing about Emily like this, but Wednesday is genuinely paying her attention.

Lydia just can't help herself. She loves talking about her mom. "No, it doesn't. Best she ever got was when Dad let our scarecrow stay in the front yard for a week." 

"A coward."

"He isn't so bad, really. If I still hated my stepmom, I'd ask for you to introduce my Dad to one of your relatives so I could be an Addams like Parker," Lydia jokes. Though, knowing the kind of unhinged women Emily Deetz and Delia are, Lydia has a feeling her father falling for an Addams isn't too impossible.

"That can still be arranged. You can just marry me."

Lydia feels her heart skip a beat. For a few seconds, only the dripping of water from the faucet can be heard. "Did you just -- Did you just propose to me?"

"Of course not," Wednesday says, like Lydia is the ridiculous one. "We're too young for that right now. You can reconsider in a few years."

"Whoa, hold up. Slow down." Lydia's eyes widen, realization dawning on her. "Oh my god. You like me. You actually _like_ me."

Wednesday doesn't bother being defensive over it. "Yes, I do."

Lydia blinks unbelievingly at the girl before her. It's disappointing that Wednesday isn't even blushing over this. 

"No way that's true," Lydia says, eyes narrowed in suspicion. 

"I rarely lie. I am very attracted to you, Lydia."

Lydia's heart starts hammering against her chest. She mentally tells it to shut the fuck up. "I don't believe you."

One of Wednesday's brows twitch. She rises from her stool and steps closer to Lydia. Though her position perched on the counter gives Lydia the higher ground, she feels much smaller under Wednesday's gaze. Still, she stubbornly refuses to back away.

A finger pokes Lydia's cheek, and a cruelly amused smirk curls Wednesday's lips. "Then why is your face so red?"

"A bit too soon to decide you want to marry me, don't you think?" Lydia says instead of acknowledging her question. "We've known each other for what? Two weeks?"

"Father proposed to Mother the very night they met."

"You're joking."

"You know when I'm joking."

She does, and this isn't it. Lydia laughs anyway, though mirthlessly. "I guess you'd board the same boat as Ariel." She smirks down at Wednesday, putting on her mask of smug bravado. She even bats her eyelashes at her. "Would you sell your soul for me, too?"

"Don't take me for a fool, Lydia." Wednesday pulls away, but her hands now rest on the counter's edge at either side of Lydia's hips. "For you, I'd have that sea witch do _my_ bidding."

**** **** **** **** 

It's a miracle Lydia managed to get back to sleep after a confession like that. It probably helped that Wednesday slept in her own bed instead of settling back beside her. Lydia likes to think that Wednesday giving her space that night was evidence that Wednesday _is_ affected by the feelings she revealed.

She ignores the disappointment she feels over the vacant space beside her.

**** **** **** ****

She finally meets Wednesday's parents, Gomez and Morticia Addams, the next day. 

It seems Wednesday inherited her stoic attitude from Morticia, though her mother still expressed a relatively wider spectrum of emotions. Where Wednesday carries this with apathy, Morticia does so with daunting grace.

(Considering what she knows of Wednesday's feelings, Lydia probably shouldn't make it too obvious that she thinks her mother is pretty hot.)

Gomez, meanwhile, is a lively man with so much passion that Lydia wonders if Wednesday inherited anything from him. Judging by how the night before ended, she can take a wild guess the romantic side to be it.

"Please, come again soon!" Gomez tells them after an interesting breakfast. Lydia doesn't know how their porridge moves and she'd rather not ask. "Whenever you like, even at the worst of times." He winks. "Especially then, even!"

Lydia has no idea what that means. 

"Do you live in Assimilation too, Lydia?" Morticia asks. "Thing can drive you home with the rest of the girls."

The disembodied hand perched on Gomez's shoulder gives her a thumbs up. Lydia's glad Betelgeuse's constant mutilation of his body has desensitized her enough not to scream at the sight of it.

"Thank you, but I don't live there," she politely declines. "Dad's already on his way anyway."

"A doting father," Gomez says, approving. "Must be a good man!"

Morticia turns to her husband, eyes swimming with adoration and pride. "Not as great as you, _Mon Cher_."

"Oh, Tish..."

And that's when Gomez starts a trail of kisses up Morticia's arm, as one does in front of their daughter and her friends. And here Lydia thought Charles and Delia were shameless.

"That's our cue to leave," Wednesday says as she ushers them out of the house.

As interesting as it was to see a disembodied hand drive Kayla, Layla, and Parker home, Lydia could only focus on the fact that she's now left alone with Wednesday by the gate as they wait for Charles to arrive. For the first time since she met this grim girl, she genuinely feels nervous. 

"You're different around me now," Wednesday says.

Lydia crosses her arms and stares straight ahead at the path. "Of course I am."

Wednesday hums in thought. "Do my feelings make you uncomfortable?"

She ignores Wednesday's stare. "Not... Not exactly." 

Lydia hears a brief exhale, like a tiny huff of laughter. She turns to Wednesday, stunned to see a small smile that isn't a smirk on her face.

Still, Wednesday definitely looks smug. "I suppose I've found another way to make your heart race." She leans closer, half-lidded eyes mocking her. "Red really does look good on you, Lydia."

Lydia gapes. "You little--"

"Your father's here," Wednesday says as she moves away.

She marches into Charles's car before he could even roll down his window to make polite pleasantries with Wednesday. The other girl merely waves them goodbye. Confused, Charles waves back before driving the car around.

"Did you have fun?" Charles cautiously asks.

Wednesday can no longer be seen from the rearview mirror. Lydia turns her attention to the window. "Yeah. I did, actually."

"Good! That's good. What did you do? Talk about boys? Have a pillow fight?"

Lydia grimaces at her dad. As revenge, she decides to say, "Wednesday said she'd marry me when we're older."

Charles head twists so fast, he might have snapped his neck. "What?!"

"Eyes on the road, Dad."

"Shit! What?!"

"Second wedding proposal within two months. You think I'm cursed or something?"

"I'm thinking _I'm_ cursed with something."

Lydia keeps to herself that she maybe isn't completely opposed with this second one. Her poor father's heart deserves a break.

**Author's Note:**

> Lydia: if i had a nickel for all the times someone proposed to me, id have two nickels. Its not much, but its pretty weird that its already happened twice
> 
> EDIT: I drew the "Would you sell your soul for me?" scene
> 
> https://barbara-lazuli.tumblr.com/post/623119115427643392/from-my-fic-unconventional-normal-it-was-funny


End file.
